This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
After an action-packed Tuesday, we're in for a light night with just three games on the docket. The action will start at 7:00 p.m. ET when the Rangers host Boston. We then have clashes at 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. with Chicago hosting Edmonton and Los Angeles hosting Montreal, respectively. Here are my FanDuel lineup recommendations.
SLATE PREVIEW
Boston, Edmonton and Montreal all played Tuesday, so fatigue might be a factor for those teams. That's especially true for the Canadiens, who are playing in their third road game in four days.
GOALIES
Calvin Pickard, EDM at CHI ($8,400): On a busier night, I'd skip Pickard, but with a lack of options, I think taking him is a solid choice, even if the Oilers are in the second half of a back-to-back. Chicago is 16-31-5 and ranks 31st in goals per game with 2.58, so even with Edmonton playing for the second straight night, the Oilers are the clear favorites. Pickard is 13-4-0 with a 2.47 GAA and a .901 save percentage in 19 appearances this campaign.
Darcy Kuemper, LAK vs. MTL ($8,200): Kuemper is having a strong campaign with a 15-6-6 record, 2.16 GAA and .920 save percentage across 28 outings. He's coming off a 4-2 victory over Carolina on Saturday in which he stopped 26 out of 28 shots (.929 save percentage). As already noted, the Canadiens are at the tail-end of a packed stretch of their schedule, so Montreal might not be at its best when facing the Kings.
VALUE PLAYS
Morgan Geekie, BOS at NYR ($5,500): Geekie got off to a very slow start, managing just a goal and four points across his opening 18 outings. However, he's been steady since, supplying 15 goals and 24 points over his past 32 appearances. That includes seven markers and 10 points over his last 11 outings.
Matthew Poitras, BOS at NYR ($3,700): Poitras is a cheap option, especially on a night when there aren't many options. The 20-year-old hasn't been too great in terms of offensive production this campaign with a goal and 11 points in 24 appearances, but he's hot right now after recording four helpers over his past two outings.
FORWARD LINE STACK
Rangers vs. Bruins
J.T. Miller (C - $7,100), Artemi Panarin (W - $8,000), Mika Zibanejad (C - $6,100)
Miller has gelled with the Rangers since being acquired from Vancouver, supplying two goals and four points over his first two outings following the trade. He's up to 11 goals and 39 points in 42 outings overall.
It helps that he's playing alongside Panarin, who is having another fantastic season with 22 goals and 56 points in 50 appearances, including six goals and 16 points over his past 13 games. It wouldn't be surprising to see Panarin reach the 90-point mark for the fourth straight campaign, especially now that he has Miller to work with.
Zibanejad has been a mixed bag this season with 10 goals and 33 points in 52 appearances, but he is coming off a strong showing in which he contributed a goal and two assists to help the Rangers earn a 4-2 win over Vegas on Sunday, so he might be on the start of an upswing.
DEFENSEMEN
Evan Bouchard, EDM at CHI ($6,900): Bouchard had two assists Tuesday, bringing him up to seven points (one goal) across his past six appearances. He has nine goals and 42 points over 53 outings overall.
Drew Doughty, LAK vs. MTL ($5,000): Doughty was held off the scoresheet in his first two appearances after missing the opening 47 games due to an ankle injury, but he registered an assist in the Kings' 4-2 victory over Carolina on Saturday. He's averaging 25:17 of ice time, including 1:41 with the man advantage, so he's getting plenty of work despite his long absence because of injury.
